SIGH.. so am I going to ruin my children by using Easy Grammar??

[4pillars]

We have been using Rod and Staff Grammar, and the kids detest it, but will do it with a good attitude. I have Easy Grammar sitting on the shelf and they are begging to do it. In fact, they have been making up silly "jingles" as to why they hate Rod and Staff... It is actually quite funny!! They loved it when we did EG for a few weeks.... sigh.. Why do I feel CHAINED to do Rod and Staff??????

We just started using IEW and Writing Strands for writing.. so writing will be covered.

Please let me know this is ok.

As for diagraming, I just thought I would teach them the basics as we go.

Thanks

[Blue Hen]

As a R&S mom-user, and a past Easy Grammar mom-user you have my permission. I will not send the grammar police to your door.

I know what you mean by the kids dreading grammar, but in this house, I'm the one who dreads doing the grammar. I can write that cause I know I boys will not be reading this since they aren't home. To help on that front, the dreading part, we do grammar mostly orally, and we never, ever do the writing assignments.

If switching to EG gets your kids excited about grammar then I'd switch. Actually my criteria for switching curriculum is simple---if I don't like it then we need to look at other stuff. If the kids don't like it, and really dislike it and they suggest something comparable, then it is time to switch. It sounds like in your situation, you match up with the second part of my criteria.

So, yes, you may switch, and teaching them to diagram as an added item sounds great.

[Aletheia Academy]

It really is a sound approach. It's thorough, incremental, and the scope and sequence make sense. However, it is teaching a skill in isolation. It would be important to connect the skills learned in EG to literature that your kids are reading and to their own writing, as well. After practicing a lesson in EG, you can pick, or have them pick, sentences from those other sources to analyze. You can also have them practice creating sentences in their own writing based upon the EG skill they are learning. You might even use these strategies as an informal assessment.

I do not base this opinion on my homeschool experience (of which I have very little), but rather on my almost 10 years teaching English to 7-12 graders in ps.

Don't fret. Your children are sure to thrive under the nurturing instruction you can provide them at home. It's not so much the curriculum- it's what you do with it. If they will enjoy it, and it works for you- go with it!

[Karin]

We did Easy Grammar for 2-3 levels before ever even buying R&S, which we started with R&S 5. I was never ever taught diagramming, and my eldest learns better visually, so R&S has been fine. My kids weren't ruined with EG.

[Lisawa]

Oh my goodness no! If it was working, use it! *Ü* Especially if you already own it too.... It will take pressure off of you too.... and peace for them! *Ü*